Noelia Castillo Ramos, 25, underwent euthanasia after fighting for nearly two years for the right to do so, El Pais reports.
The procedure took place at a medical facility in Sant Pere de Ribes, Catalonia. Earlier, she had stressed that she did not want family members present when the drug was administered.
“I told my family they were welcome to come and say goodbye, but not when they are going to give me the injection. I do not want anyone inside, I do not want them to see me close my eyes,” El Pais quotes her as saying.
The ultracatholic organization Abogados Cristianos, which backed Ramos’s father as he sought to challenge her decision, published a message saying: “We ask that you pray for her soul and her family. Rest in peace.” Activists from the group also organized a “prayer vigil” outside the medical facility where she had been waiting for the procedure.
Ramos became the youngest person in Spain to exercise the right to euthanasia, which was legalized in the country in 2021. She was granted authorization for the procedure in 2024.
With the backing of Abogados Cristianos, the young woman’s father secured a temporary suspension of the process, arguing that pain, medication, and her mental state left her incapable of making decisions independently. Courts and medical review boards, however, concluded that Ramos was fully competent and that her decision was informed.
According to El Pais, 601 days passed between her obtaining the right to euthanasia and its implementation.